Means for preventing deformation and raising of baths for igneous electrolysis



P. MOR ET AL 3,421,995 PREVENTI NG DE MATION AND RAISING OF Jan. 14, 1969 MEANS FOR BATHS FOR IGNEOUS ELECTROLY-S Filed June 9, 1966 Sheet of 5 no 22 147 112 f 141 I 1 12 144 l I[ 124 j I 101/ I INVENTORS PA UL M0054 JMAMD/E/QPE 6/VQ 1 BY Poexspnfcfluar -74 6 M M "M nrr yr- Jan. 14, 1969 P. MOREL ETAL 3,421,995

MEANS FOR PREVENTING DEFORMATION AND RAISING OF BATHS FOR IGNEOUS ELECTROLYSIS Filed June 2, 1966 Sheet 2 of 6 FIG.3

7770M, 7W4 azrdaa/ Jan. 14, 1969 P. MQREL ET 3,421,995

MEANS FOR PREVENTING DEFORMATI AND musmc OF BATES FOR IGNBOUS ELECTROLYSIS Filed June 9. 1966 Sheet 3 of 5 FIG.4

" Fl 6. 5 mm United States Patent US. Cl. 204-244 15 Claims Int. 01. cm 3/02 This invention relates to baths for igneous electrolysis as in the production of metal such as aluminum, and it relates more particularly to means employed in combination with such baths to prevent deformations or displacements in various directions.

It is known that, as a result of the aging process, such igneous electrolysis baths deform in use. Such deformations accelerate the aging process and operate materially to reduce the energy yield of the bath.

The principal deformations are of two types. One type results in vertical movement of the bath above its original position in response to upward thrusts on the bath. The other type of movement is in the horizontal direction as a result of centrifugal thrusts originating in the cathode which causes the sides of the casing to flex by amounts that increase with age, especially in the larger dimensions of the side walls of the casings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means for preventing deformations from taking place in baths for igneous electrolysis and it is a related object to provide a means operative in engagement with the casing of the bath to prevent vertical and/0r horizontal deformations.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken crosswise of baths arranged in side by side spaced relation;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an anchoring means employed in the practice of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the anchoring means shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line b-b of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 0-0 of FIG. 1.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the means fitted onto a series of baths comprises an anchor having its lower end portion embedded into the ground adjacent the bath and with an upper portion fixed to the casing of each bath to prevent rise of the bath and a buttressing means between adjacent baths and contacting the adjacent sides of the casings to prevent horizontal deformations.

The buttressing means between baths comprises at least one thrust block having one end bearing against the side wall of the casing of one bath while the other end bears against adjacent side wall of the casing of the adjacent bath for bracing the adjacent side walls one on the other end in which said thrust blocks are electrically insulated from at least one of the sides to avoid electrical interconnection of the baths. It includes at least one thrust block embedded in or resting on the ground of the work shop and a solid retaining buttressing mass, such as a masonry block, a block of reinforced concrete or a metal member in which the solid retaining mass is firmly anchored or at rest on the ground at the outside wall of Patented Jan. 14, 1969 ice the outermost bath in each row for use as a buttress against said outside walls.

The described means can also be employed with baths arranged lengthwise in the series, such as with the sides of greater length parallel with the direction of the current in the series and also with baths arranged crosswise in the series, such as with the narrower sides parallel to the direction of the current in the series.

The baths 100, 200, etc. in the series rest on a concrete slab 101. Each bath comprises a casing made up of horizontal bars which are assembled, such as the two H- beams 111 and 112 welded wing to wing. A sheet of metal 113 extends downwardly from the edge of the inner wing of the beam 112, to which it is joined as by welding, to a lower horizontally disposed flange plate 115 to which it is welded. On the outside, vertically disposed ribs 116 extend throughout the height of the casing and are welded to the beams to stiffen the casing.

The bottom and side portions of the casing are internally lined with a refractory packing 124. Resting on the bottom packing is the cathode 120 made up of conductive blocks 122 with the gaps 123 between the blocks being filled with a conductive compound.

The invention is not concerned with the superstructure of the baths such that detailed description thereof need not be given.

The bath 200 arranged alongside bath 100 in the series is identical to bath 100 as are all other baths in the series, with the series 200 numbers of the second bath corresponding to the series 100 elements in the first bath.

The casing for each bath is anchored at a number of points depending somewhat upon the size of the bath. Four anchoring points corresponding to one in the middle of each side of the four sides appear to be the minimum suitable for small baths. It is preferable, however, to provide one anchoring point at each corner of the casing plus at least another anchoring point at right angles with each of the thrust blocks for baths of larger dimension.

The outer rib 116 on the casing is preferably reinforced at the location of the thrust blocks. The rib 116 is formed with an opening 117 at its lower end portion for receipt of a spindle 131 which also extends through aligned openings through the upper end portions of two fiat or otherwise shaped bars 132 and 133 of the anchoring means. The latter anchor bars 132 and 133 may take various forms. The two flat anchor bars 132 and 133 may be interconnected by externally disposed, vertically spaced apart angle pieces 136 to 139 so as to achieve good contact with the concrete for anchorage therein. Instead of bars 132 and 133, use can be made of a single fiat bar 132 provided with crosswise extending members of conventional shapes, such as rods, bars, angles, U-bars, tubular bars and the like, for anchorage into the cement. One modification is to have the anchoring member in the form of a single cast piece.

The sides facing one another on two adjacent baths 100 and 200 are shored up against one another. In the case of baths having sides of short dimension and ends of larger dimension, a single axia ly arranged thrust block may be suflicient. In the case of baths having side walls of larger dimension, it is preferred to make use of two or three blocks, preferably arranged symmetrically in relation to the common axis of the baths. More than three blocks obviously can be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Each thrust block may be in the form of a strong structural member propped up against or bolted onto the strongest portions of the two spaced apart adjacent casing walls with an insulating seal or joint inter-posed therebetween.

In the example shown in the drawing, the thrust block 140 is made up of two vertically spaced apart, crosswise extending cross pieces 141 and 142 shaped so as to have a large moment of energy. Shoes 141 and 142*, of cross pieces 141 and 142, are bolted through an insulating plate 143 and 144 onto the H-beams 111 and 112 with a strip of metal 117 extending downwardly from the beams, preferably at right angles, with a reinforced outer rib 116 and which carries the anchoring means.

Rigidity of the assembly can be further improved by using reinforcing corner brace members, such as plates 147-150.

The gap between cross pieces 141 and 142 can be utilized for the passage of leads electrically interconnecting one bath to the other.

It is advantageous also to shore up the outer walls of the baths. Depending upon the dimensions of the baths, one to three shore blocks, or more if necessary, should be distributed along the walls.

A thrust block of the type employed is represented by the numeral 160 in FIG. 4. The block is of a triangular shape and is firmly anchored in the concrete base 101. The block, which is made of iron and concrete, thus seeks to reverse the thrust forces of the bath.

The vertical side of the triangle is illustrated in the form of an Ibar 165 extending vertically throughout the height of the block and is reinforced by ribs 161 and 162 which are welded onto its base and onto its wings 163 and 164. The lower end portion of the vertical bar 165 is welded to one or more I-bars 166 embedded into the base.

The other sides of the triange are in the form of fiat plate members 167 and 168 welded onto one or more triangular sheets of metal 169.

If it is desirable to subdivide the baths in one series into several groups and to provide a widened passage between adjaoent groups, thrust blocks 140 of greater lengths may be employed. However, these would involve the risk of buckling. In order to avoid such difficulties, the force is transmitted from one bath to the next through beams of larger section and preferably with beams made of reinforced concrete. These may be immersed into the ground underlying the passage to cross the passage parallel with the axis of the series and, as with the blocks previously described, they will transmit forces from one casing to the other.

The outer walls of the outermost baths of a series should have their outer side walls also effectively shored up. For this purpose, a solid retaining block having a large moment of energy, such as a piece of masonry, a block of reinforced concrete, or a metal construction solidly anchored in the ground, must therefore be provided at each end of each series. The large external side of the end bath will be arranged to bear against the retaining mass either directly or by means of a thrust block, such as described under reference 140.

In the case of baths having a passage therebetween or baths at the end of a series, it is also possible to use thrust blocks of the type described under reference 160; these will bear on a solid retaining mass.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for preventing vertical and horizontal deformations during aging of a bath for igneous electrolysis in which the baths are aligned in side by side relation in a series with each bath surrounded by a casing having vertically disposed end and side walls, comprising anchoring means having portions embedded in the ground immediately adjacent the bath and fixed to the casing about the bath to prevent the bath from being raised, buttressing means engaging the side walls of the casing to prevent horizontal deformations in which the buttressing means between the side walls of adjacent baths in the series comprises at least one thrust block extending crosswise between the adjacent side walls of the casings to brace one against the other and insulation separating at least one of the thrust blocks from the engaged side walls of the casing, at least one thrust block adjacent the sides of the bath parallel with the axis of the series and anchored to the ground, and a solid retaining mass anchored to the ground alongside the outer wall of the outermost baths in the series.

2. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the solid retaining mass comprises a cement block.

3. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the solid retaining mass is a block of reinforced concrete.

4. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the solid retaining mass is a metal member.

5. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the casing is eixternally reinforced with metal ribs fixed to the casing wa is.

6. A means as claimed in claim 5 in which the anchoring means are fixed to the ribs.

. 7. A means as claimed in claim 5 in which the anchoring means are pivotally secured to the casing.

8. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the anchoring means comprises a pair of vertically disposed bars and a horizontally disposed bar fixed to the vertically disposed bars with end portions of the horizontally disposed bar extending beyond the vertically disposed bars for anchorage into the ground.

9. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the anchoring means comprises two vertically disposed bars which merge into a single bar and horizontally disposed elements fixed to the single bar.

10. A means as claimed in claim 9 in which the anchoring means is a single base casting.

11. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the thrust block comprises at least two cross pieces dimensioned to extend crosswise between the adjacent side walls of the casing of adjacent baths and an insulating plate disposed between the ends of the cross pieces and the walls of the casing.

12. A means as claimed in claim 11 in which the thrust blocks are fixed onto the casings at right angles with at least one of the anchoring points.

13. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which a passage of greater dimension exists between the baths and in which the thrust block between the casing walls of said baths on opposite sides of the passage bear on beams embedded in the ground below the passage between the baths and aparellel with the axes of the series.

A means as claimed in claim 1 in which the retaming mass bears on the adjacent side walls of the casing.

15. A means as claimed in claim 1 in which a thrust block is positioned with the solid retaining mass bearing against the outer end walls of the casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,818,174 8/1931 Suchy et al. 204-243 XR 2,861,036 1l/1958 Simon-Suisse 204-243 3,042,604 7/1962 Hegland 204-244 3,170,862 2/1965 Hegland 204244 ROBERT K. MIHALEK, Primary Examiner.

DONALD R. VALENTINE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. MEANS FOR PREVENTING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DEFORMATIONS DURING AGING OF A BATH FOR IGNEOUS ELECTROLYSIS IN WHICH THE BATHS ARE ALIGNED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION IN A SERIES WITH EACH BATH SURROUNDED BY A CASING HAVING VERTICALLY DISPOSED END AND SIDE WALLS, COMPRISING ANCHORING MEANS HAVING PORTIONS EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE BATH AND FIXED TO THE CASING ABOUT THE BATH TO PREVENT THE BATH FROM BEING RAISED, BUTTRESSING MEANS ENGAGING THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASING TO PREVENT HORIZONTAL DEFORMATIONS IN WHICH THE BUTTRESSING MEANS BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF ADJACENT BATHS IN THE SERIES COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE THRUST BLOCK EXTENDING CROSSWISE BETWEEN THE ADJACENT SIDE WALLS OF THE CASINGS TO BRACE ONE AGAINST 